The End of the World in Ten Steps
by Brain Fluff
Summary: Forever is too good to be true, people change and friends drift apart.


**The End of the World in Ten Steps**

**Summary:** Forever is too good to be true, people change and friends drift apart.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

* * *

><p>"<em>I used to believe in forever, but forever is too good to be true."<br>–__Winnie the Pooh_

* * *

><p><strong>i.<strong>

When their world begins to crumble, neither of them notices.

It's a beautiful day when it happens: the middle of April between the last frost and first spring shower. Arthur and Buster never stood a chance.

It's after school, and Arthur asks "Do you want to come over?" An innocent question with an all too obvious answer because this is the part where Buster says "Yeah, what do you have for snacks?" but it's not the answer Arthur receives.

There's a pause and it's a pause that holds the weight of the world—their friendship—in the balance. And it surprises them both when they hear the words that come out of Buster's mouth, "Sorry, I promised George I would help him with his woodworking project."

Another beat of silence, tense and awkward and—"Oh, alright then, see you tomorrow I guess." And Arthur is off and gone and Buster can say nothing more.

It's understandable that the two of them suspect nothing. Of course, they've been best friends for so long. Having each other is all they've known. It's comforting. _It's familiar._ So they miss the first signs and never realize that _this_ is when their world begins to end.

**ii.**

A year goes by, and then another one and another. That moment which so defines the rest of what they are is forgotten, because there are so many more to fill its space.

Arthur gets a girlfriend. Buster gets a job. Arthur goes to piano class. Buster practices the trumpet. Arthur has his knitting club and Buster has his aliens.

Yes, they spend less time together and yes, they have different interests and activities, but they're still best friends and they still have each other. That is all they care about, so that is all they see.

**iii.**

Francine notices the distance. She notices the times Arthur glances at Buster when he's with his science fiction club friends and she catches the way Buster looks at Arthur when Arthur is laughing with his friends from class. Francine is pretty sure Arthur and Buster are the only ones that don't understand that _they don't have each other anymore_, at least not the way they used to. Francine wants to take the two of them by the shoulders, shake them and yell: "Why are you two so blind?"

_Why can't you two see that you're losing each other?_

**iv.**

It is their mothers who say it out loud first; innocent and well meaning, because that's what mothers are.

It's a cool October day when Bitsy points it out; they're eating breakfast (bananas and chocolate waffles—it's Every Flavor Waffle Day at the Baxter residence) and she flips the page of the newspaper as she turns the world upside down: "I haven't seen Arthur in a while." And she hasn't.

Buster stops eating which is strange by itself because it's Buster and there is _food_ in front of him. A moment passes and he begins to chew again, he swallows and repeats the process. _He_ hasn't seen Arthur in a while, but Buster can't tell his mother that because there's something stopping him. It's an uncomfortable, foreboding feeling that there is something desperately wrong with the fact that he _hasn't_ seen Arthur in a while.

"We meet at the Sugar Bowl."

She doesn't ask him anymore questions after that.

**v.**

For Arthur, it is six days later and slightly warmer when the world stops spinning.

It is dinnertime and Jane Read passes the bowl of salad to her husband. "Buster hasn't been around for some time now." David Read agrees and takes a bite of his mashed potatoes. D.W. for once does not make the situation any worse than it already is, and for that, Arthur is grateful. He feels the need to defend himself and Buster, so he shrugs carelessly and hopes that the casual gesture throws them off the trail. He silently regroups.

_Buster hasn't been around for some time now._ And he hasn't, but there were good enough reasons for all of that. They were both busy; high school took a lot of effort out of the both of them. There just wasn't enough time like there used to be. They had different activities, different classes, different teachers and friends. All of these thoughts rush through Arthur's head but he shoves them aside quickly, "We mostly hang out at the library." His voice is even and his lie is believable. Jane and David move on and D.W. takes over the conversation once more.

Arthur wants to sigh from relief, they believe him, this is _good_. But there's a terrible feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach and he _knows_ that none of this is alright.

**vi.**

Fern used to be jealous of Arthur and Buster. This is a few years ago and back then Fern has friends and people she's friendly with but she does not have a _best friend._And she desperately wants a _best friend,_because best friends will always be there and they never leave. She sees Arthur and Buster and they're _always_ together. They hang out after school at the Sugar Bowl, they play soccer in the park, they visit the comic book store and the Powers' ice cream parlor together. Fern plays detective with George, Fern goes to the movies with Jenna, Fern goes over to Muffy's house. It's just not the same thing.

But maybe there's something in being left alone. Fern doesn't have a best friend but she has her mysteries and poems and because of those two things she's quiet and observant (most poets and detectives are). She watches in the background and she sees things that most people don't. She sees the caution signs and warning signals in Arthur and Buster's friendship long before anybody does, long before the moment their friendship starts to fragment and their world begins to break.

She's not jealous anymore.

**vii.**

It's a perfect day for gardening when Fritz passes away. His funeral is a week later and Buster arrives with his mom by his side. A lot of members of the community are there to say their farewells. Arthur does not come by because Arthur is at his piano recital.

Two months later, the day before Grandma Thora moves into a retirement home. There's a big party and everyone comes: Mrs. McGrady, Grandpa Dave, Francine, Binky, Brain, Sue Ellen, the only person who is noticeably absent is Buster. Buster is away at summer camp.

**viii.**

DW is not a little kid. Sometimes she thinks her parents forget and her teachers don't realize. She knows Arthur still thinks of her as that four year old kid who played Princesses and Unicorns. But she's not. She sees things and hears things and she realizes that Arthur and Buster aren't the best friends they used to be. Because Buster always came over on Wednesday afternoons to watch Bionic Bunny and Arthur always went over on Saturday nights for a procrastination sleepover. And sure, they've grown up and they have less time to be together, but when she sees her brother out laughing with a bunch of kids, none of them are _Buster,_and when Buster's eating ice cream and talking with friends, none of them are _Arthur_.

She brings it up one day, it's a day that comes long after the October when Arthur and Buster's moms notice the same thing, and Arthur is caught off guard. The two siblings are sitting on the couch flipping through channels on the T.V. when D.W. brings it up. She doesn't mean to at first, but the moment she asks D.W. realizes she wants to know the answer more than she ever thought.

"Why don't you and Buster hang out anymore?"

It's blunt, to the point but his response is even harsher.

"Why don't you hang out with Nadine anymore?"

D.W. almost flinches. She refuses to look at him and the night passes in silence, so does the rest of the week. Arthur and D.W. do not talk. It's a quiet week in the Read house.

**ix.**

The change is gradual, autumn turns to winter and spring slips into summer, it has taken years to get to this point. _ArthurandBuster_ becomes Arthur_–pause–_Buster. And all of a sudden they're two separate beings.

**x.**

When they pass by each other in the school hallway or on the sidewalk they _smile, nod, wave._ Sometimes they even stop and exchange brief, friendly—_empty_words. And maybe they feel a deep twinge of sadness—regret?—but it's all too brief and then it's gone.

And one day even their meaningless exchanges stop. So Arthur_–pause–_Buster go their separate ways and live their separate lives, because friendship is such a fickle thing and forever is much too good to be true.

* * *

><p><strong>Arthur's Notes: <strong>Wow, I'm going to apologize for that because I meant to write a happy story, I promise, it just turned out this way.  
>It's my first story, so please do me a favor and review! Thanks :)<p> 


End file.
